Dispenser for selecting quantities of like bodies



y 1969 J. c. CHAMBERS 3,446,397

DISPENSER FOR SELECTING QUANTITIES OF LIKE BODIES Filed Jan. 24, 1968 Sheet Elllflllll 1N VEN'IOR JAMES C. CHAMBERS BY y 1969 J. c. CHAMBERS 3,446,397

DISPENSER FOR SELECTING QUANTITIES OF LIKE BODIES Filed Jan. 24, 1968 Sheet 5 of 2 FIG.1

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An electric device for selectively dispensing like bodies retained in end to end relation in a channel by gravity upon the operation of one of a predetermined number of button operated electric switches.

6 Claims This invention relates in general to dispensers of like bodies and more particularly to an electric dispensing device for the gravity dispensing of sequences of selected numbers of like articles or bodies, such as medical capsules and pills, upon the manual operation of each of a plurality of push buttons.

Reference is had to applicants US. Patent No. 3,362,580.

Prior to this invention dispensers of small bodies were complicated and expensive to manufacture and hence are fraught with service problems.

The present invention overcomes the above objections and disadvantages by a relatively low cost construction for slidably retaining pluralities of like bodies in end to end relation under the influence of gravity and a push button means for mechanically and electrically releasing a pre-selected number of bodies upon the operation of a selected push button, which construction is a principal object of the invention.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a single upright frame for slidably retaining a predetermined overall number of bodies in a slotted channel therein in end to end relation including an electro-magnetic shutter for holding and releasing the bodies in the lower end of said frame.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a push button means for mechanically holding a predetermined number of bodies from gravity descent while simultaneously and electrically closing a circuit to magnetically release a predetermined number of bodies positioned below the button when manually depressed.

A further object of the invention is the provision of adjustment means for each said button means along the frame for positioning same to sequentially dispense variable numbers of said bodies when operated.

These and other objects and advantages in two embodiments of the invention are described and shown in the following specification and drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of the dispenser with portions thereof broken away.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional top plan view taken through section line 22, FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional bottom plan view taken through section line 33, FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged side elevation taken through section line 4-4, FIG. 1, with portions broken away.

FIG. 5 is the same as FIG. 2 in changed position.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the push button assembly shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a schematic wiring diagram for the dispenser shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary dual column dispenser alternate to that shown in FIG. 1.

States Patent FIG. 9 is a cross sectional section line 99, FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is the same as FIG. 9 in a first changed positron.

FIG. 11 is the same as FIG. position.

FIG. 12 is a schematic wiring diagram for the alternate construction shown in FIG. 9.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a cover member 1 for the device is secured to an elongated frame member 2, better shown in FIG. 2, which has a uniform cross section. The frame member is preferably extruded from dielectric plastic material, such as polystyrene, A.B.S., Zytel or Delrin, and includes a longitudinal cylindrical channel 3 having an open frontal slot '4.

It is to be noted that the cross sectional shape of the channel 3 is intended to conform with the cross sectional shape of the body to be dispensed. In the dispenser shown, the channel is adapted to loosely retain cylindrical medical capsules 5 in end to end relation.

Referring to FIG. 2, a second channel 6 is provided to the left of and parallel with channel 3 for retaining a metal strip 7 which will serve as a common electric contact throughout the length of the frame member 2 and is provided with a connection terminal 8.

A metal rail 9 is secured to frame member 2 parallel channel 3 by suitable screws, as shown, one of which retains an electric terminal lug 1.0, to be hereinafter described. A captive slider 11 is adjustably retained to rail 9 by a thumb screw 12. An electric conducting spring 13, preferably beryllium copper, is secured to slider 11 by well known means and terminates in its outer end in a contact 14 and has a plastic operating button 15 secured to the outer end portion thereof. It is apparent that a plurality of springs 13 may be secured to a common conductor.

A rubber or plasticized plastic plunger 16 is secured to spring 13, as shown, by well known friction and adhesive means, the action of which will be hereinafter described. The entire button assembly is better shown in FIG. 6.

The frame member 2 is secured by well known means to a rear support board 17 which is provided with three horizontal shelves 18, 19 and 20, shown in FIG. 1.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, an electric solenoid 21 is secured to shelf 19 and a shutter 22 secured to the outer end of the core of the solenoid is positioned for transverse movement in close relation to the lower end of channel 3. The shutter is adapted for movement from full lines to dotted lines'shown in FIG. 3 and includes a spring 23 around the core to move the shutter into normal position when the solenoid is de-energized. It is to be noted that one top plan view taken through 9 in a second changed of several types of electromagnetic shutters will operate J as well as the solenoid type shown.

Referring to FIG. 1, when the solenoid 21 is in its normal de-energized position the shutter 22 holds all of the capsules 5 in channel 3 in end to end relation, as shown.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 4, a hopper 24 is intended to retain a substantial supply of capsules 5 for descent into channel 3 and are urged into descent by an electric vibrator 25 secured to shelf 18 by suitable spring mounts 26 and the vibrating element 26 thereof secured to the hopper 24, as shown.

The electric circuit shown in FIG. 7, in the interest of safety, includes a stop-down transformer T for reducing the voltage applied to the contact system of the device. The primary leads of the transformer T have leads L and L connected to an ordinary source of electric power. One terminal of the secondary of the transformer is connected to terminal 8 by conductor 28 and a contact strip 7. The remaining terminal of the transformer T and the solenoid 21 are connected by a conductor 30.

In operation and under the assumption that vibrator 25, illustrated in FIG. 4, is energized by conductors 31 and 32 and has vibrated the hopper 24 for a sumcient period to fill channel 3 with the capsules in end to end relation, as shown in the figures, the column of capsules will gravitate in end to end relation with the lowermost one thereof resting on shutter 22. To selectively dispense two different numbers of capsules requires the use of two button assembiles, as shown in FIG. 1. It is apparent that if a greater selectivity is desired, the use of a correspondingly larger amount of buttons is required.

Referring to FIGS. 2, 4, and 5 and under the assumption that ten capsules are to be dispensed, then the button is pressed inward which will first permit the entry of plunger 16 through slot 4 to bear against the eleventh capsule from the bottom, and further movement of the button inward against the restraining action of the spring will permit the contact end of spring 13 to engage contact strip 7. This movement will complete the circuit shown in FIG. 7 and energize solenoid 21 and withdraw the shutter from under channel 3 which will permit ten capsules to gravitate downward into a container resting on shelf 20. Dining the descent of the capsules, the plunger 16 holding the eleventh capsule will prevent all of the Capsules thereabove from descending. The instant the button is released, the spring 23 will snap the shutter into its normal position under channel 3 and prevent the descent of the remainder of the capsules in channel 3, at which time the vibrator may be energized for a sufficient period to refill the channel 3 with capsules from the hopper 24.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show an alternate form of dispenser which contains two columns of bodies for selectively dispensing therefrom with a considerable increase in the num- 'ber of selection and the quantity obtained from a single operation of the device.

Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, a cover member 1a is suificiently wide to cover the switching apparatus to be described and involves the use of pairs of buttons 34 and 35.

Referring to FIG. 9, two channels in longitudinal parallel relation are integral with frame member 2a. A first contact strip 36 is positioned between and parallel channels 3a. A second contact strip 37 is positioned to the right and parallel with the right hand channel 3a. Rail 9 is secured to frame member 2a, as shown, and carries a captive slider 11 and is secured by a thumb screw 12, A contact spring 13a is secured to slider 11 by well known means and has a pair of spaced plungers 16 in spaced relation for entering the channels 30: respectively. Contacts 38 and 39 on spring 1311 are adapted to engage contact strips 36 and 37 respectively.

In operation and referring to FIG. 10, it is apparent that when push button 34 is moved to its limit against contact strip 36 plunger 16 will engage the body in the left hand channel 3a and hold back all capsules thereabove and the contact 38 will engage strip 36 and complete a circuit to solenoid 21 and dispense all bodies below the one held by plunger 16, by completing a circuit to the solenoid 21.

When the button is pressed to its limit, the contact 38 will maintain its position against strip 36 and contact 39 will engage strip 37 which will energize a solenoid 40 corresponding with the second channel 30 through conductors 30 and 41, shown in the circuit diagram in FIG. 12 and thus dispense a like number of bodies from the said second channel 3a.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A dispenser for selectively and sequentially dispensing predetermined numbers of small like bodies comprising a means forming an elongated upright frame,

said frame including a linear channel means for normally and loosely retaining said bodies in an end to end relation for gravity descent therefrom with said channel means having a parallel open slot through the front wall thereof for the selective entry of a holding projection,

at least one elongated spring means having one end thereof secured on the front side of said frame a predetermined distance from said slot and at a selected position with respect to the length of said channel means and extending transverse to said slot and in predetermined spaced relation across the latter,

a resilient holding projection secured to the inner side of said spring means for movement through said slot and against any one of said bodies in said channel means adjacent thereto for preventing the downward movement thereof,

a normally open electric switch means cooperatively associated with said spring andsaid frame means, an electromagnetic shutter secured to said frame movable from an idle position in close proximity over the lower end of said channel means to a dispense position adjacent said channel means when energized,

a source of electric energy,

a normally open circuit means connecting said switch means and said shutter and said source of energy whereby the manual operation of said spring means will close said switch means and energize said circuit and said shutter to dispense all of said bodies from said channel means below the said body held by said projection and to permit the said body held by said projection and those above same to descend and be retained in said channel by said shutter when said spring means is released.

2. The construction recited in claim 1 including an electrically operated vibrated hopper for retaining a predetermined supply of said bodies including means for conducting said bodies into the upper end of said channel for refilling same when energized.

3. A dispenser for selectively and sequentially dispensing predetermined numbers of small like bodies comprising a means forming an elongated upright frame,

said frame including an upright channel means for normally retaining said bodies in end to end relation for gravity descent therefrom with said channel means having a parallel open slot through the front wall thereof for the selective entry of a holding projection along the length of said channel,

an elongated contact means secured on the front side of said frame in parallel spaced relation at one side of said slot,

an elongated conductor means secured to the front side of said frame in parallel spaced relation to the slot on the side opposite said contact means,

at least one elongated spring means having one end thereof secured to a selected position with respect to the length of said channel means on said conductor means and extending substantially normal to said slot and normally positioned in predetermined spaced relation over said slot and said contact means,

a resilient holding projection secured on the inner side of said spring means for movement through said slot and against any one of said bodies adjacent thereto in said channel means and the outer end of said spring means contacting said contact means when said spring means is manually depressed,

an electro-magnetic shutter means secured to said frame movable from an idle position in close proximity over the lower end of said channel means to a dispense position adjacent said channel when energized,

a source of electric energy,

a normally open circuit means connecting said contact means and said spring means and said shutter means and said source of energy whereby the manual depression of said spring means will move said projection into said slot and engage and hold one of said bodies adjacent thereto and substantially simultaneously said spring means will contact said contact means and energize said shutter means to release for descent by gravity the number of said bodies from said channel below the said one body held by said projection and corresponding with the selected position of said spring means.

4. The construction recited in claim 3 including a predetermined plurality of said elongated spring means selectively secured along said conductor means for selectively dispensing predetermined numbers of bodies from said channel means corresponding with each of said spring means when depressed.

5. A dispenser for selectively and sequentially dispensing predetermined numbers of small like bodies comprising a means forming an elongated upright frame,

said frame including a linear channel means for normally loosely retaining said bodies in end to end relation for gravity descent therefrom with said channel means and having a parallel open slot through the front wall thereof for the selective entry of a holding projection,

an elongated contact means secured on the front side of said frame in parallel spaced relation to said slot,

at least one elongated spring means having one end thereof secured to a selected position with respect to the length of said channel means on said conductor means and extending transverse said slot and normally positioned in predetermined spaced relation over said slot and said contact means,

a resilient holding projection secured on the inner side of said spring means for movement through said slot and against one of said bodies adjacent thereto in said channel and the outer end of said spring means contacting said strip when said spring means is manually depressed,

an eleetro-magnetic shutter means secured to said frame movable from an idle position in close proximity and over the lower end of said channel to a dispense position adjacent said channel when energized,

a source of electric energy,

a normally open circuit means connecting said contact means and said spring means and said shutter means whereby the manual depression of said spring means will move said projection into said slot and engage and hold one of said bodies adjacent thereto and substantially simultaneously said spring means will contact said contact means and energize said shutter means to release for descent by gravity the number of said bodies from said channel below the said one body held by said projection and corresponding with the selected position of said spring means.

6. A dispenser for small like bodies comprising a means forming an elongated upright frame,

said frame including a first and second linear channel means in predetermined parallel spaced relation for normally and loosely retaining said bodies in end to end relation for gravity descent therefrom with each of said channel means having a parallel open slot through the front wall thereof for the selective entry of a holding projection,

a first and second electro-magnetic shutter secured to said frame with each one thereof movable from an idle position in close proximity over the lower end of said first and second channel means respectively from an idle position in close proximity to the lower end of said channel means to a dispense position adjacent said channel means when said first and second said shutter is selectively energized,

a first and second elongated contact means secured on the front side of said frame in parallel spaced relation on the same side of said first and second channel means respectively,

an elongated selection conductor means on said frame in parallel predetermined spaced relation to said first channel means positioned adjacent the side of said first channel means opposite that of said contact means,

an elongated spring means having one end thereof secured to said conductor means at a selected position with respect to the length of said channel means and extending transverse said channel means and positioned in predetermined spaced relation over each of said slots and said first and second contact means,

a first and second resilient holding projection secured on the inner side of said spring means positioned and adapted for sequential movement through each said slot in said first and second channel means respectively when said spring means is moved to a first and second depressed position for sequentially holding one of said bodies adjacent said projection in said first and second channel means respectively,

said spring means adapted to successively contact said first and second contact means when said spring is moved to said first and second positions successively for sequentially energizing said first and second shutter respectively,

a source of electric energy,

a circuit means connecting said source of energy and selectively connecting said electro-magnetic shutters and said contact means and said conductor means whereby the manual depression of said spring means to said first depressed position will move said first projection against a predetermined body adjacent thereto in said first channel means and simultaneously energize the first said electro-magnetic shutter and permit the gravity descent of said bodies from said first channel means below the said body held by said first projection and the further movement of said spring means to said second depressed position will move said second projection into holding engagement with one of said bodies in said second channel means and energize said second shutter to permit the bodies below the body held by said projection to gravitate from said second channel means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 590,635 9/1897 Sturtevant 221296 X 1,400,304 12/1921 Mercer 221296 2,858,658 11/1958 Atwell. 3,294,284 12/1966 Chambers 221296 X 3,362,580 1/1968 Chambers 221-296 X SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner. 

